The pop does not get tired of re-investing in its oldest representatives. It seems like we live in an era of “comebacks”, constant returns of idols from the past that once again come to enchant us, or to fill their pockets. Maybe both. Thus, in recent years we have seen the return of bands as mythical as Pavement, Pixies, and last year, Pulp. Usually in the alternative environment, bands tend to disappear and become myths, perfect machines of nostalgia in which hundreds of fans fall. Missing the band off the road, seems to increase followers and sounds even more spread around the world.

See the case of a band like Pixies for example, that during the 80′s and early 90′s, revolutionized the sound of rock, without knowing it and knowing it at once. Pixies disappeared from the music scene for many years and return to touring in mid-2004. Much of the alternative sound of the 90′s is owed to the Pixies, of course, bands like Weezer, Radiohead, Nirvana and Franz Ferninand never stopped calling attention to this great band. On the other hand, Pixies still tours and fill their pockets. Do they deserve it? Perhaps, having been so important to a moderate or almost zero recognition, now fill large arenas, may deserve to recover the time spent with dollars and euros extra.

In the case of pop, the return factor is hardly perceived. Ie a pop artist is condemned to constant reinvention to stay afloat. Their exposure to media, radio and the internet, simply make their transience much shorter, and have no choice but to mutate in order to stay afloat. Pop singers, can’t afford to disappear. Their personal myth is in the scandal, photo, image building. Lady Gaga has taken advantage of the best of these matters, completely influenced by the chameleons David Bowie and Madonna. It is very difficult for Lady Gaga to go away or take a break. There are other times and the machinery of the information must be supplied in any way for artists to keep afloat.

The handsome Canadian pop rocker Bryan Adams returns, the one that rattled you, made you cry and declare your love with the classic “Everything I do”, which was focus of a popular version of Robin Hood, played by the unfriendly Kevin Costner. Bryan Adams will offer a concert on the 15^th of December in Lisbon with the best of his repertoire and you cannot miss it. Hits like “Cuts Like a Knife”, “Heaven” and “Please forgive me” will fill the fans’ hears. If your style is pop rock, and want to be part of the 80′s and 90′s with this pop-rocker, you cannot miss this concert. For more information about the concert, as well as inputs and the current tour of Bryan Adams, visit his official website just by clicking here: http://www.bryanadams.com/

Alexa Ray

Rent apartments in Lisbon and live a rich cultural and musical experience. This concert by Bryan Adams is just one of the many attractions and events that this fabulous city has to offer. Lisbon is waiting with open arms.

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Translated by: Hans
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On the next 4th of December, the city of Lisbon will host its 26th marathon race (http://www.lisbon-marathon.com/es/lis_01_es.htm), an event which takes place every year with plenty of enthusiasm. It’s understandable, because few places are nicer to run in than the beautiful and melancholic Portuguese capital, a privileged stage of one of the most emotional types of modern athletics. All of those who manage to finish it after the standard distance of 42km, reflection of the city and its fascinating baroque, a meandering and circular race entering the magnificent 1st of May Stadium (also the location of the start of the race), will somehow participate in something more than an unforgettable experience, because they’ll be paying tribute, 2500 years after, to one of the most decisive moments of Western history.

In the same way that Lisbon seems to stare perpetually and seductively to the end of the world, the citizens of Athens had the impression of facing the end of their incipient and blossoming civilization (the term democracy, despite the decisive changes of Cleisthenes, had not yet even been invented) when they decided to stand against, in September of 490BC, the formidable and extraordinarily stronger in numbers Persian Army in the legendary, since then, plain of Marathon (located precisely 42km from Athens, the near-exact distance as the race), thus written the first episode of the no less legendary Greco-Persian Wars, an episode which against all odds changed the destiny of Europe forever. Marathon didn’t just mean the first defeat of the Persians against the Greeks, incrementing Athens’ pride, who had recently got rid of its tyrants, or the astute words of Aristotle giving the citizens of Athens the necessary security and confidence in new political institutions and forms of government which had started to develop in the city of Piraeus, it was also to create the stage of bloody rivalry between Athens and Sparta (who for religious reasons just sent the requested backup when the battle had finished) which would end up confronting all the Greeks – alienated in their favour of one or the other – during most of the century.

Despite that the surprising and spectacular victory (then thousand Athenians faced an immensely bigger army in terms of numbers and reputation with only 192 casualties for the Greeks and over 6000 for the Persians in combat) was due exclusively to Athens and the military talent of its military generals Callimachus and Militiades, Sparta itself was encourage by the result, which came to ratify the undeniable military superiority of the army of hoplites over any other known army.

This factor, the confirmation of Greek military superiority was maybe, together with the aforementioned development of an invincible force in the rise of forms of government other than tyranny, one of the most important results from the battle of Marathon. Another one was probably the birth of a double feeling of hostility and superiority towards the foreigner.

Paul Oilzum

None of this will happen if you rent apartments in Lisbon for your Marathon. You’ll just find a joyous atmosphere of international camaraderie which contributes to make the race such a special and highly awaited event.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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Let’s say that advertising makes everything exist and move in today’s world. There is no possible manufacturer, idea, concept or image which doesn’t go through an extensive process of exhibition and exposure by advertising. The success of every political career depends on advertising. The success of every revolution depends on its advertising. And the exposing factor of whatever is possible to offer to the public depends on advertising. Since the end of the 19th century, and even from much before, the creation of posters, cards or promotion alluding any product, was essential so that it could survive. Of course, with every historic moment there’s also a different interpretation of what happened and, with that, a new line of advertising.

If you check the Reader’s Digest from between the wars (First and Second World War), you’ll find that a large part of consumerism was incentivated by the existance of both. In those old magazines you can see how the government of the United States encouraged the public to consume national products because a large part of the income of these sales went directly to the production of more war. Under a theme similar to ‘Let’s do it for the boys’, they encouraged to carry on buying different products which, or were financing the wars or were products that at the same time the soldiers consumed. And so, both consumer quality and consumer purpose went hand in hand. In the same way, the revolutionary Chinese Maoist advertising encouraged the ideal proletarian man with the classic image of the countryside woman, the worker and the soldier; central figures of a cosmos which wasn’t directed, yet, to the free market. Nazism on the other hand was another machinery which made of advertising one of its main engines. You don’t have to think too deeply to understand why Hitler, in the highest point of his ‘pathetic struggle’, operated under some sort of advertising and image machines which were exceptional for its time. It’s not surprising that in many of the fundaments of Rock Star par excellence, there are some of the performance excesses of Hitler, capable of bringing crowds to total frenzy. It was clear that Hitler was a great speaker, maybe the best terror advertiser that ever existed.

Today, Eurobest is an important option if you like advertising and you’re looking for new contacts, options, learning new growing and always changing strategies and the international advertising market. The festival also awards the best recent advertising. Seminars, information, dialogue and great vibes will take place in this event from the 28th until the 30th of November. But not everything is business in advertising, but also to encourage creativity to promote new businesses. If you’re an artist, some of the projects presented at this festival can stimulate even more your contemporary curiosity. For more information visit this webpage: http://www.eurobest.com/

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Lisbon and be part of this important event. Lisbon’s cultural offering is among the best in Europe. Don’t miss the chance of being part of this beautiful city.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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For four days, Lisbon will be the fashion and design center in the Moda Lisboa. Transfusion, which will be held at Patio da Galé,  area of Terreiro do Paço. This fashion fair appeals to sustainability and responsible business, while serving the new concepts of companies in a global world, specially in this segment, which is accused of being one of the main causes of slave labor.

The new concept of this Fashion Fair that is defined as transfusion, aims to change the individualistic tendencies on behalf of a collective work, while creating responsible actions. In short, transfusion will show a collective network which opens on the 6^th of October and ends on the 9^th of October.

Transfusion is a small glance of the 20 years of Moda Lisboa that reflects a different perspective of the multi-million-fashion industry, one of Portugal’s international attraction.

Fashion has been a constant inspiration for designers, because it relates very directly to the barometer of times. Thus today there are significant differences between masculine and feminine fashion in daily life, being reflected by all the trends of fashion, from clothing, to accessories, hairstyle and perfume. This now seems normal, but less than 50 years ago, there were many vital differences in fashion, to the point that specialized designers only created women’s clothes.

The twentieth century was a time, in which fashion led the largest human aesthetic transformations in the history of the humankind, changing the length of skirts, including pants in the women’s closet of and smoothing the rough masculine aesthetic. All this, added to the change in hair color, gave freedom to our bodies and took away the solemnity of age. In summary fashion was one of the liberators of the body and mind to reveal what was hidden for centuries: sexuality.

The XXI century has added to these changes, the inclusion of political and social issues such as environmental and economic crisis that has determined to democratize fashion. Today fashion has infiltrated large supermarkets in the world to reach the segments that were previously marginalized consumption.

This relationship between fashion, social and political relations has meant to be included in interesting anthropological and sociological studies, which discusses, as great designers synthesized, the signs of his time in a dress and pierced personal vision to the collective aesthetic. Today, many designs are included as works of art in contemporary art museums in the world.

For more information http://www.modalisboa.pt/

Nancy Guzman

Autumn is the time to renew the romance, so leave everything aside and come to apartments in Lisbon to enjoy with your partner the spectacular landscapes the city has, including the International fashion Exhibition, Moda Lisboa.

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Translated by: Hans
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The Chiado National Contemporary Art Museum of Lisbon presents in its art video programme the exhibition Poetic things that are political until August 21st. The exhibition which has been commissioned by Miguel Amado is a co-production between the Chiado Museum and Duplacena-Fuso.

The art exhibition with explicit political meaning takes on the investigation of different video works that take on, in a political way, the socio-political conflicts of globalization and post-colonialism in different parts of the world. With that aim it chooses a series of art videos that haven’t been exhibited in any Portuguese museum.

The moving image (video) means an ideal registration to capture reality with its complexities, building a testimony of every day and social lifestyle transformations. Thanks to this capacity of capturing the symbolic dimension of reality and building new territories of sensibility exploring frictional ways, it has transformed into an ideal support to embody works of art that, in any other day, would go without registering.

That’s why the artists such as Katarina Zdjelar from Serbia, the Americans Chelsea Knight and Austin Shull, Daniel Jewesbury from Northern Iteland, Cao Fei from China, Nazito Mosquito de Bofa from Angola, Nira Pereg from Israel and Rita Sobral from Portugal, have made use of the video to produce the works that are shown in this exhibition.

Conceptual artist Katarina Zdjelar explores the notions of identity, authority and community through narratives of memory, where it includes book texts and a special work on language, as notion of change. In the work which is exhibited, Zdjelar takes an Italian community that look to transform its reality to capture the poetics of collective and individual transformation. In 2009 she participated in the Serbian Pavillion in Venice’s Biennale.

The Chinese artist Cao Fei expresses the particular sensitivity and ancestral aesthetics that Sabbath has in an ultra-orthodox Jewish community in Jerusalem. His work that took place in 2008 is fundamentally focused on exploring the Jewish culture and religion, going in depth in the complex relations that it has with politics and the armed conflict which is going on in the region. Sabbath is the story of a barricade that takes place every Friday in a Jerusalem neighbourhood to stop the entry of intruders to the sanctity of the Sabbath day.

The rest of the works refer to different political conflicts that have made up part of local cultures, such as the catholic-protestant conflict in Ireland and the colonial influence between Africans and Europeans, or the confinement phenomenon in the United States.

For more information: http://www.museudochiado-ipmuseus.pt/en/node/1059

Nancy Guzman

A great exhibition that makes us think about the poetics of politics in art is what the Chiado Museum offers. So, if you’re interested in politics and art and you’re in one of our apartments in Lisbon spending a few enjoyable summer days, this exhibition is a good prospect.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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Night photography becomes a passion for the photographer who achieves good results, not only because it often represents a challenge, but because of the beauty and possibilities that the night landscape offers, thing that has motivated many thousands to buy a camera and start to experiment. In addition, we are entering a privileged season to this type of photography, not only of cityscapes, but also landscapes far from the madding crowd, thanks to the summer solstice and its bright nights, although they are unfortunately shorter (not everything can perfect).

Let’s then give some clues for lovers of the night to go with their cameras seeking to capture those moments full of art. Although it may seem difficult for an inexperienced photographer, the requirements are not too many and one can take great pictures with a compact digital camera that has the manual option, so it is not a unique reflex field although no doubt these cameras give us the best results.

The first we have to consider are the materials we need. Besides the camera, it is ideal to carry a tripod, because the vibration in long exposures is inevitable. It is necessary to use the manual mode, never the automatic since in many cameras built-in flash and when trying to capture it will be activated. On the other hand, if it is off, the photograph will fail to capture the richness of the landscape. The shutter speed and aperture of diaphragm will depend on how dark the night is. As advice, the best night shots of urban landscapes are achieved in the hour after sunset or before sunrise hours. If photography is urban with lots of lights, try not to have any direct light, so we look for the perfect angle.

One last tip, it is essential to shoot several times, above and below what the meter suggests to us and we will achieve the desired night picture.

Luz Obscura

If you’re looking for night urban landscapes of great beauty and content do not hesitate in getting one of the apartments in Lisbon this season, prepare your bag, camera, tripod and everything you need to capture the magic of the night in Lisbon.

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Translated by: Maria
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The banks of one of the biggest rivers in Europe, the Tajo, will be the home for the exotic Festival of the Oceans, held in Lisbon between the 30th of July and the 13th August.

In the city of Pessoa, there are various recreational and cultural projects but this is one which is particularly loved by Lisboans. The event remembers the discoveries, navigating of the brilliant past of the town, harking back to when the Portuguese sail boats cruised the seas.

The festival comprises of a fun and varied two week long programme, with diverse events with free entry; concerts, street performances, open museums, exhibitions, animations and other interactive activities which aim to be accessible to all.

Each year a different theme is picked, and this year’s is: Universality, Sustainability, and Entertainment.

The festival’s opening night (30th June) will be marked by a concert from Portuguese band X-Wife, followed by singer, composer and actress Joss Stone, a global name in soul music. A duet with Sarah Tavares will close the evening.

And of course, in the capital of fado music, a music festival cannot go without honouring the popular Portuguese style of music, whose muse, Amália Rodrigues, has become famous all round the world. The fado nights at the festival are 1st, 3rd, 8th and 10th of August. The location is the renovated Galé Patio next to the Square of Commerce. The four fado nights also encourage the interaction with other cultures, linking the genre with Brazilian, Angolan, Hindu music…

On the first of august António Zambujo invites Roberta Sá (Brazil).

The Waterwall (5th and 6th of August) is one of the main draws; upon a huge metal structure, dancers and acrobats give an unforgettable show. Behind all the spectacle is a dance performance of incredible technique, as well as a light show – the best possible celebration of the Gods of the seas.

Walk inside a light sculpture during the Luminarium event, the handiwork of the Architects of the Air http://www.architects-of-air.com – a truly unique part of the festival (30th of July-13th August).

And there is a whole world waiting for the kids too – the spaces for children are called the caravels, which were invented and used by the Portuguese during the period of discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Vera Cruz Caravel is an exact replica of the old Portuguese caravels, and was built in 2000 in Vila do Conde, during the commemoration of 500 years of the discovery of Brazil.

The big date for kids is inside this mythical boat, with lots of workshops and activities (Marina Parque das Naçoes. 10am-7pm).

This and much more awaits you in the wonderful, elegant city of Lisbon.

But, before the festival kicks off, find out more about the action packed few days of celebration of “the oceans.”

Web: www.festivaldosoceanos.com

Sibilla

Don’t forget to rent apartments in Lisbon for some rest after this wonderful festival.

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Translated by: Poppy
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Optimus Alive Festival 2011 brings four days of music and debauchery this summer. The festival that takes place in the Paseo Marítimo de Algés de Oreiras, near Lisbon, will begin on the 6^th of July and the last sounds will be shaken in the air the night of the 9^th of that same month.

The 2011 edition of the festival, not only brings together lovers of good electronic music and art, but also recycling activist fighting for a clean environment. The first edition of Optimus Alive was celebrated in 2007 and was so successful that today is considered one of the best summer music festivals in Europe.

Since the idea is to enjoy the outdoor space and electronic music, in the concert arena you will be able go camping and take advantage of warm nights and moonlight while breathing fresh air. The Festival is divided into three stages: Super Bock, Optimus Stage and Optimus Stage Clubbing.

The festival has developed an application for electronic devices such as mobiles, iPhones and tablets, which offers fresh news about Optimus Alive 2011 that will be working from June. Through this platform you will be able to view a map of services, camping grounds and the area where the festival will take place. For better information sharing, the application can interact with Facebook and other social networks.

The band Nacked and Famous, which was appointed by the BBC as a promise among the bands of emerging alternative rock and electronic-industrial, will give a concert during the Super Bock stage. During  the same stage, the British Patrick Wolf, will delight his fans with songs from his new album Lupercalia; an alternative mixture of rock and baroque pop music released worldwide on the 30^th of May.

The Thievery Corporation duo is one of the most attractive performances in the Festival due to their eccentricity and unique sound that stands out in the international arena. In their 15 years touring the world scenarios, they have released 6 albums that will be recreated on stage at the Paseo Marítimo in several languages including: Spanish, Hindi, Persian, Portuguese, Romanian, and more.

Over 100 000 people will enjoy the summer festival that is becoming a must-see for electronic music lovers in Europe. The particularity of this festival is the prohibition of littering or polluting the festival arena. All other activities are permitted, especially if they relate to love.

For more information http://www.optimusalive.com/es

Nancy Guzman

The four-day festival, including the camping fee, cost 149 Euros, but if you do not want to go camping and prefer to stay at your Lisbon accommodation it will be only 129 Euros.

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Translated by: Hans
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So, Iggy Pop, what can I say about him that has not been said yet? … Let’s talk a little bit of his history. Way back in the distant 1967, after having participated in several local bands in Detroit, which failed to succeed, he decided to form The Stooges. The band’s history is short but powerful, it’s more or less like this: it was formed; they started playing and immediately won fame because of their noisy presentations, especially the one performed by the young and crazy Iggy. The Elektra Records talent scout, Danny Fields, discovered them. Their first album was released in 1969 (year that gave name to one of their famous songs). Despite having obtained a good reputation for their live performances, the band could not achieve good sales with their albums and so, between drug problems and rock and roll they were left without a record label.

In 1971, Iggy met David (Bowie, of course), who helped him to join Columbia Records with the Stooges. Thus, in 1973 the album “Raw Power”, considered the father of punk rock was released. Despite the band’s work was one of the cornerstones for the subsequent emergence of punk rock, sales did not reflect their tremendous role in the history of music. After 4 years at Columbia Records, the band finally disintegrated.

No more was heard of the Stooges until 2003, when they released a new album titled “Skull Ring”. In 2007, after successful tours and good sales, they released “The Weirdness”.  In this current situation we are lucky to see them again in this European tour.

This concert will be held in Lisbon in the framework of Optimus Alive festival on the 7^th of July (same day as Primal Scream!), you can already buy tickets. Consider also the bonus of seeing them at a festival with a big sign, Enjoy!

For more information visit: http://www.optimusalive.com/

Luz Obscura

Festivals, concerts and a beautiful spring loaded with music in Lisbon, do not miss it; get your Lisbon accommodation and dive into the Rock and the strange pleasure of listening to Iggy Pop and The Stogges live.

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Translated by: Hans
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Until the 12th of June, the Chiado Museum in Lisbon is showing O Fardo ads Imagens (1945-1953), an exhibition based around the photographic work of Adelino Lyon de Castro. The show spotlights the most important works of the Portuguese neo-realist, whilst also paying homage to his extensive contribution to art and the memory of a moment in history.

Adelino Lyon de Castro was born in Lisbon in 1910. He was a prominent figure in Portuguese culture, and his interest in writing and literature took him to found Europe Publications with his brother Francisco at the end of the Second World War in 1945 – around the time he also started his photographic work.

Lyon de Castro subscribed to the great canon of humanist photography, based in neorealism and the depiction of misfortune in society. His work is marked by the traces of an exploited world and the idea of the dehumanisation of society – something which translated into a form of political protest, and defence of the poor against the ills of capitalism.

These were the post-war years; the beginnings of the Cold War, and the romanticism of the revolution that the proletariat would rise to power. Lyon de Castro, along with other intellectuals, humanists and artists from around the world devoted themselves to the cause of social justice. Whilst the intention of his photography was centred on communicating the plight of the marginalised, the remarkable thing about Lyon de Castro’s images is their powerful aesthetic value, which is used to express the complexity of poverty.

Though Lyon de Castro was one of the first practitioners of artistic photography in Portugal, his work has remained largely ignored by the big museums – mainly because of their critical stance towards a historical period of much contention and upheaval. This exhibition opens up a debate about photography as an instrument for art, or for the reflection of reality – a debate which continues, even though Lyon de Castro’s work proves that it is possible to make art from reality.

Of the 3,500 images comprising the photographers body of work, around 70 will appear in the show, including Lavandeiras do Mondego (1948) which shows a group of women washing in a river. Their bodies together in the water look like a dark, faceless spot, contrasting with the white squares on the river bank. There are also the ones of the solitary young boys; the group of workers warming themselves round a bonfire, and travellers waiting at the port.

For more information http://www.museudochiado-ipmuseus.pt/en/node/1006

Nancy Guzman

The photographic work of Lyon de Castro is an amazing reflection of a time where reality surpassed notions of art. If you happen to be enjoying the wonderful weather in rented Lisbon accommodation come down to the Chiado Museum and discover this great exhibition.

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Translated by: Poppy
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